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Kickboxing for cyclists

ProRaceMechanic

Maximum Pace
Dec 31, 2009
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Hello,

I am thinking of joining kick boxing to enhance my leg and core strength, but I wonder if the kicking of the bag and other humans will actually be detrimental to my sport of choice, racing my bike. Has anyone had any experience with the sport and how it affected your overall bike performance, or have any opinions that may help me to decide?
Practice is one time a week during the week, when my training load is highest, but I could plan a recovery day the day after if that helps.

Thanks,

Chuck
 
I can imagine times when having some kickboxing skills might be helpful on a bike.
 
When I was off the bike due to breaking the knee the doctors recommended I take up T'ai chi Ch'uan but remember I wasn't able to ride at all so it was an alternative activity.

You are able to ride and the only way to really strengthen the legs specifically for cycling is to either cycle, cross country ski or hit the weights at the gym. Really I would go for a proper structured training program at the gym if your goal is to build cycling strength.

However if you are looking for something fun to do while building all round fitness and strength then marshal arts is a good way to go and will help prevent mental fatigue if you have a seriously intensive training and racing program on the bike, however you'll need to dedicate time out off the Dojo to build the skills required and that will take time away from the bike and other activities.
 
Nice one. Yes, the mental fatigue of only training on the bike is a good point.

I also feel using real activities using range of motion are more effective in building tangible strengh. For example I just bench pressed the first time in a year, yet was able to lift the same weight I left of with, easyer! It's from working on the farm, using my entire body as a unit, not hitting specific muscle groups. I tried the gym but it always fizzles out due to boredom and long summer days. I am also thinking soccer of futusal may be better.

Thanks for your imput. You've basically confirmed my intuitions to the T, I just don't know if it is going to be detrimental kicking things with my tibialis anterior, a muscle that is firing in extension and flexion of the pedal stroke.
 
I agree with kiwisimon - you need to bear in mind that although you are doing at as a form of cross training others are doing it as the main activity, some may also be very serious and going much harder than you are; be it hard tackles in football/rugby or sparring in martial arts.

You have a passion for photography - so get the snow shoes at get out their and take some shots while snowshoeing!
 
Hi, I've been kickboxing for nearly three years now but only cycling to close to one year. Can't really say how the two sports/activities complement each other but I do enjoy the workouts. My trainer is a professional kickboxer and fights often at the Korakuen. You can Google him: Johnny Oliveira.

All the best
 
Chuck, I think you are going the wrong way!
I started cycling after realizing that at 43 I was too old for boxing/ kickboxing.
Cycling is great for working on fitness for boxing.
Boxing isn't great for anything to do with cycling..... (well, there are moments):mad:
 
That makes two of us... at 43 years of age, however the kickboxing training is fantastic. My trainer throws in just as much weight training and HIIT workouts too.
 
Any training beats no training and cycling can be a lonely sport most of the time, if working out in a gym gets you sweating, and invigorated for cycling without injury then it's all good.
 
...
I also feel using real activities using range of motion are more effective in building tangible strengh. For example I just bench pressed the first time in a year, yet was able to lift the same weight I left of with, easyer! It's from working on the farm, using my entire body as a unit, not hitting specific muscle groups.
...

The increased training options are obvious:

(a) Get more livestock (or acreage),
(b) Fire any help you have, or
(c) Hire yourself out to a neighboring farmer or two.
 
If I was allowed to comment, I would be able to tell you I did Muay Thai for 6 years in the UK, and enjoy knowing that I can wreck any rarsklart that cuts me up in his car, who I then catch up with at the lights and demand gets out the car and take me on like a man.

I also took on and beat Pete and all of his ninjas at his evil dojo last year with one hand.

But I am not allowed to so I wont.
 
If I was allowed to comment, I would be able to tell you I did Muay Thai for 6 years in the UK, and enjoy knowing that I can wreck any rarsklart that cuts me up in his car, who I then catch up with at the lights and demand gets out the car and take me on like a man.

I also took on and beat Pete and all of his ninjas at his evil dojo last year with one hand.

But I am not allowed to so I wont.

Good..... Glad to see you know your place, now back to the box with you!
 
If I was allowed to comment, I would be able to tell you I did Muay Thai for 6 years in the UK, and enjoy knowing that I can wreck any rarsklart that cuts me up in his car, who I then catch up with at the lights and demand gets out the car and take me on like a man.

I also took on and beat Pete and all of his ninjas at his evil dojo last year with one hand.

But I am not allowed to so I wont.
Cool! We should organize a TCC fight night!
 
Cool! We should organize a TCC fight night!

No, no, I have learned my lesson know, and I know my place. Mine is not to question, or make a noise. Seen and not heard, scuttling around in the dusty shadows, in the fog, where it flows among green aits and meadows, down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great city. I will hide myself away, in the fog on the Essex marshes, the fog on the Kentish heights. In the fog creeping into the cabooses of collier-brigs; the fog lying out on the yards, and hovering in the rigging of great ships; the fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners, wheezing by the firesides of their wards; fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper, down in his close cabin; fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little 'prentice boy on deck. Chance, you may see me, on the bridges peeping over the parapets into a nether sky of fog, with fog all round me, as if up in a balloon, and hanging in the misty clouds, thanklessly working on maintaining the website, so you, the better people, can continue your adult conversations without the likes of me interrupting you. Some of us were simply not cut out for being around others, and are better suited to keeping quiet, and ensuring the house is kept spick and span for our superiors.
 
If I was allowed to comment, (...) But I am not allowed to so I wont.

You know that nobody here has any problem with you commenting from a personal account :)
 
Instead of kickboxing find some good karate dojo, I used to train Karate many years ago, and my core strength with overall flexibility were beyond what I'd have ever expected (including ability to do splits).

In my hometown there were only 2 options: Karate and Kickboxing.

Kickboxing was pretty brutal from what I heard, so I went with karate.

The style I trained is called Shotokan, my sensei was multiple gold-medal world-champion and we even had seminars with Hidetaka Nishiyama in the late 90's.

In Japan, the most popular style from what I see is Kyokushinkai (full-contact and lots of injuries, one of my friends does that), I do know there are some Shotokan dojo's but there aren't that many (I have another friend who does that style in Tokyo).

Regardless, any martial arts will make a huge difference as long as you can keep at it. (during my best time, I would go for a session at 6 AM, then 2-3 sessions in the evening couple 3-4 times a week).
 
Regardless, any martial arts will make a huge difference as long as you can keep at it.

But that's the thing any sport will make a huge difference as long as you keep at it - so if he is looking to improve his cycling then he should just increase his training program on the bike.

To be honest I would actually recommend Yoga or weight training (with either a coach or training buddy) over anything else.
 
I wasn't aware that anyone had a problem with him posting from wherever he wants. Despite it being something you obviously desperately crave for, you are neither a mod or an admin and really have no authority to try and enforce anything. And if you do ever become one please ban yourself for the incessant gratuitous posting of those nose hair laden selfies.


You know that nobody here has any problem with you commenting from a personal account :)
 
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